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Stocks Reservoir is the largest fly fishery in the North West of England. Stocks Reservoir has over four miles of fishable shoreline and 350 acres of open water, accessible by a variety of specially designed boats for hire.

The lodge and tackle shop, next to the car park, is open from 8am until dusk with a member of the fishery team always on duty to offer their help and advice. It has a well-stocked tackle shop, a café selling hot and cold snacks and separate male, female and disabled toilets.

Situated at the head of the Hodder Valley in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Stocks has a wild and unspoiled quality the perfect place for a day’s fly fishing. Visit www.stocksreservoir.com for more information.

Clapham is only 12 miles from Peaks and Pods and the pretty village is the starting point for the Ingleborough Estate’s Nature Trail, which goes through beautiful lakeside woodland up to Ingleborough Cave. The trail, suitable for wheelchairs and prams, was created to celebrate the work of Reginald Farrer, a plant collector and author, who travelled the world gathering many rare plant species before cultivating them in the area.

Take a tour of Ingleborough Cave during the summer months, and see what is believed to be the biggest stalactite in Great Britain at 16ft 5ins. There is a cave shop and toilet facilities at the entrance.

Just a 20-minute drive away at Ingleton is the home of Cave and Canyon UK, who offer caving and canyoning adventure days and courses for all ages and abilities. The highly qualified instructors also offer climbing, abseiling, paddle sports, bushcraft and survival, and more, with the best outdoor kit provided.

We can’t get over how lucky we are here to have Gisburn Forest right on our doorstep – a real Mecca for mountain bikers. It’s perfect for an adrenaline-packed ride or a family-friendly pedal. Visit forestryengland.uk/gisburn-forest-and-stocks.

Most trails start from Gisburn Forest Hub – just five miles from Peaks and Pods by car. There’s a car park (pay and display), toilets, cafe and picnic area.

Glide easily along mellow trail by Bottoms Beck, twist and shout through Park Wood, dance with your bike down Hully Gully or grit your teeth and rush down the Bigfoot slab – everyone should find something that will make them grin.

Skills loop

The skills loop is located by the stone wall circle of Gisburn Forest Hub. Three linked, mini loops of trail offer progressively harder riding. The loops are packed with technical features and obstacles.

Bottoms Beck trail (5.5 miles / 9.5km)

This is a blue graded trail but has sections of green. Drop down the causeway over Stocks Reservoir and bounce along Eggberry Road. A mellow section of green trail follows an old railway line beside Bottoms Beck. Flow along the funky blue single track of Park Wood before swooping down from the top of Cocklet Hill.

The 8 – Elements of Blue, Red and Black Grade (11 miles / 18 km)

Laid out in a figure of 8, highlights on this trail include the volunteer built Home Baked sections, […]

Peaks and Pods is a great place to start a day’s cycling expedition along the lanes and hills of the local area.

We have enlisted the services of a fully qualified and very experienced round-the-world cycling tour leader Richard (Joanne’s dad!), who has put together a selection of eight different rides for all abilities, all starting from our site. On request, we will send the routes (including digital files) to our guests before arrival, free of charge. All our routes feature an essential stop-off at a local cafe or watering hole! If you prefer, Richard will escort you for half or a whole day (for a modest pre-arranged fee), taking you wherever you might like to go.

We are also lucky enough to have links to a highly qualified sports and outdoor enthusiast who can offer a huge range of guided activities to our visitors, including walking, cycling, orienteering and running. Jill, of Run Bike Fun (www.runbikefun.co.uk), is very experienced working with children and families, and we work closely with her to tailor-make your experience.

Please contact us directly if you have any special requirements that would help you or your cycling group.

Outstanding scenery, picturesque villages, charming tea rooms and a network of Quiet Lanes – all waiting to be explored. And what better way to do it than by bike? Silently travelling around this area of outstanding natural beauty under your own power, coming across hidden gems around every corner, this truly is a spectacular area for biking enthusiasts of all types and levels:

There’s a great selection of cycling routes in the Forest of Bowland area, found on the website www.forestofbowland.com/cycle-routes. Riders choose the distance they’d like to cover and what facilties they’d like to have on the ride (eg toilets, picnic tables, café), and the most suitable routes are shown.

Each route has its own name, the name of the local town or village, distance in miles and kilometres, the approximate travelling time, and the option to download the route as a detailed PDF file with detailed map, GPS waypoints, and detailed descriptions of the routes.

Bowland by Bike – The Bowland by Bike leaflet details five stunning cycle routes in and around the Forest of Bowland. These routes vary in length and surface and have been selected to give you a flavour of the excellent cycling opportunities available throughout the AONB. Click to download Bowland by Bike leaflet in PDF format

Hop onto the Way of the Roses Cycle Route at Settle. It’s a new coast to coast route which links Morecambe in Lancashire, via the historic cities of Lancaster and York, to Bridlington in Yorkshire. The section, which cuts through Settle and the Forest of Bowland, includes part of the Millennium Cycle way along the river Lune from Lancaster to Caton. From there the route crosses over the river at the beautiful Crook o Lune, and upstream to Gressingham. Country roads take you on to Hornby and Wray – two delightful villages with ample stop off points for views, heritage and refreshments.

The route then follows quiet lanes towards Bentham, passing by the Great Stone of Fourstone and then across the border into North Yorkshire. Beautiful views across the Craven dales and the Three Peaks greet you as you leave the Forest of Bowland at Clapham, but there are many more miles to go if you want to complete the route. A one-day ride from Morecambe to Settle, and a return by train if you prefer, is about 25 miles.

The Way of the Roses cycle route idea was established in 2007 and various organisations, along with Sustrans, went on to develop the route. West to East is the preferred direction, and the climb out of Settle up “IF HILL” (if you can get up!) is demanding. You’re rewarded with great views from Kirkby Fell back towards Heysham and the Lake District, and on a clear day you should see Heysham Power Station, Morecambe Bay, The Lakeland Fells and Pendle Hill.

The Pennine Cycle Way is a beautiful yet challenging ride that takes you through the dramatic scenery of the Pennines and cuts through Settle along its way.

The full route runs from Holmforth to Appleby – a distance of 124 miles (18 of which are traffic free).

The Pennine Cycle Way takes in a wide variety of landscapes, including a huge canal embankment, splendid examples of textile mills, market towns, pastoral farmland and high open moorland. Traffic free sections include the green corridor of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath, and bridle tracks near Clapham.

Travel in either direction from Settle, either go from Settle towards Hebden Bridge (46 miles), or Settle to Appleby (56 miles).

The Pennine Cycle Way makes makes up part of the National Cycle Route 68, which runs up the spine of England and through three National Parks between Derby and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Regional Route 10 takes cyclists around the Malham and North Ribblesdale areas, and across the border in Lancashire, Route 90 passes close by in the Slaidburn and Forest of Bowland area, up to Bentham and beyond in the North.

Gisburn Forest is a superb destination for mountain bikers, walkers, families and people who just enjoy a trip somewhere different to eat. Facilities include a large car park, excellent toilets, information boards and leaflets, cafe with plenty of inside and outside seating, (even sofas upstairs!).

Stretch your legs and walk on one of the many trails through Gisburn Forest, most starting from Stocks Reservoir car park, with a link trail to and from Gisburn Forest Hub. The Gisburn Forest website has details of five different walks of varying difficulty for all ages and abilities – forestryengland.uk/gisburn-forest-and-stocks/walking-trails .

If you chose to walk all round Stocks Reservoir you’ll find the tackle shop across the reservoir, which has toilets and some basic refreshments. Find out more on our Walking and Outdoors tab.

Nestle into your own dreamy cocoon swing seat on the patio at Corn Bents before changing into your swimmers and taking a dip in the private hot tub. Corn Bents offers a luxury stay with all the trimmings.

The nearest village is Tosside – just two miles away. The recently-opened Bowland Fell Park Farm Shop is next to Crow Trees Inn, just out of the village, and sells a selection of locally-produced food, such as Blue Pig sausages, bacon and black pudding. You’ll get a hearty home-cooked meal in Tosside at The Old Vicarage Tearoom, with outside seating and a drinks licence (www.tossidetearoom.org). The Bowland Restaurant at Crow Trees Inn serves real ales and food (bowlandfell.com/yorkshire-holiday-park/crowtrees-inn).

A further six miles on from Tosside is the picturesque Lancashire village of Bolton-by-Bowland, which boasts a fabulous country pub – the Coach and Horses (coachandhorsesribblevalley.co.uk). Just out of the village is Holden Clough Nursery, which is a lovely little garden centre with a great café – The Garden Kitchen (holdencloughnursery.com). It’s famous for its ‘Afternoon Picnics’ – book in advance. Bolton-by-Bowland has a pretty church and green, and lots of walks start from the village – bolton-by-bowland.org/walks.

Most days (except Tuesdays), you can park in the centre of Settle – in and around the Market Place – for free for two hours (although you must display a car parking disc, available from nearby shops). If you wish to stay longer, use one of the several pay and display car parks near the centre.

Information

Settle Market every Tuesday

Booths Supermarket

Booths is a fabulous supermarket on the edge of the town and offers a great range of top-quality food and drink.www.booths.co.uk

Settle to Carlisle Railway

Explore one of the world’s greatest rail journeys along the stunning 72-mile route from Settle to Carlisle. Running through some of the most attractive scenery in the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbrian Fells, the Settle-Carlisle railway is world famous for its Victorian architecture, huge stone viaducts, long tunnels and remote wayside station buildings. It is not a preserved heritage railway – it is part of the UK rail network. The diesel sprinter trains carry well over a million passengers […]

Peaks and Pods: This project was partly funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The creation of the luxury camping pod site is aimed to attract visitors to the local area all year round, to create employment and to provide an opportunity for a traditional farm to diversify.